A long time ago, the local hotspot for running in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was on the campus of Lehigh University, where in 1979 I witnessed the NCAA cross-country championship. That race pitted Kenya’s Henry Rono (then the world record holder in four track and field events) against an up-and-coming young American star, Alberto Salazar. In a nail-biting finish, with just seconds to go in the race and having rounded the last of the many hills on the arduous course, Rono sailed past Salazar and claimed the title. It was clear to me that there must have been something in Rono’s preparation that enabled his stunning finish.
And so atop those same hills of that tough 10K course, our running group convened for weekly speed workouts. We had our own stars—one of them was Budd Coates, four-time U.S. Olympic Trials participant in the marathon, who embraced me as part of the pack. Without fail, he dedicated himself to those evening workouts with a plan. When I set my sights on trying to qualify for the 1988 Olympic Trials, Coach Budd fine-tuned a specialized 16-week program tailored to my ability. In addition to his training plan, he had one piece of advice; always visualize a fast finish. I gave it my best shot and missed qualifying by 13 seconds. Despite not making the cut, I was proud of my strong finish.
There was also Bart Yasso, my long run training partner and inventor of the Yasso 800s, a marathon speed prediction method that I used to calculate a possible qualifying time for the trials. Bart helped me gain a mental edge through surviving hard workouts, which improved my strength and confidence. Once, a day after a competitive Thanksgiving Day race, Bart was back at the track ready to pace me—in cold, pouring rain.
Over the years, as running began to gain popularity and the number of big-city marathons exploded, our group continued to train on the Lehigh cross-country fields. Eventually the construction of new buildings rendered impassable the original course where the epic Rono-Salazar battle took place.
Nonetheless it was here where I found the inspiration to think like a champion, to push myself with the help of some friends.
On your next run, picture yourself sailing across the finish line while setting a PR, with the sound of crowds cheering you on—or toward a booth full of freshly made soft pretzels, as my daughter mistakenly believed would be waiting for her following her first marathon. Whatever gets you motivated!
I’m not alone in finding that imagining a great finish improves my performance. In fact, sports psychologists How Des Linden Keeps Showing Up.
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Lori is part of the Runner's World Challenge (soon to be Runner's World VIP) group headed to the Marine Corps Marathon. To learn how you can be part of the RW VIP program, visit runnersworld.com/vip.
